Easy Pumpkin and Carrot Soup

This pumpkin carrot soup is an easy, healthy and delicious way to enjoy seasonal pumpkin. It's light yet filling and flavoured with fresh ginger and coriander for a warming, fragrant vegan meal. Preparation is simple and the soup comes together in under 30 minutes.

See also Polish pumpkin soup!

This pumpkin carrot soup is a delicious autumnal dish that's easy to make and ready in just 4 simple steps. It involves cooking fresh pumpkin and carrots with stock and a few spices then pureeing the mixture until creamy. It's rich and satisfying, yet light and low in carbs as well as fat, and made without any dairy (one portion contains just over 100 calories).

Pumpkin and carrots make a fantastic culinary duo. Pumpkin has a delicate, soft texture which adds lightness (but also makes this soups filling thanks to the fibre it contains). Carrots, on the other hand, are denser, so provide more substance as well as natural sweetness, complementing mild tasting pumpkin. This creamy carrot pumpkin soup contains equal amounts of these vegetables (though you can change the ratio if preferred).

Pumpkin carrot soup ingredients and substitutions

• Pumpkin: Use culinary, sugar pumpkin (also called pie or sweet pumpkin) which is widely available at this time of the year. Sugar pumpkins are smaller than field pumpkins which don't have much flavour and only work as Halloween decorations.
• Carrots.
• Onion: I like to use red onion for more natural sweetness but you can use any.
• Ginger.
• Garlic.
• Spices: I used a combination of coriander, nutmeg and cayenne. The soup is mildly spicy but you can add more cayenne for extra heat.
• Stock: use either vegetable or chicken stock.
• Olive oil.
• Salt and pepper: I like to use rainbow coloured peppercorns for added flavour, but black pepper is fine to use, too.

Do I have to peel the carrots and pumpkin

I recommend that you do. Although pumpkin skin is edible it's quite tough and takes much longer to cook than the pumpkin flesh. It also doesn't taste very nice! Using unpeeled carrots might make this carrot and pumpkin soup taste too earthy, which is why I recommend peeling these, too.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1. Prepare pumpkin: Wash the pumpkin then wipe thoroughly before cutting. Cut in half through the base then using a melon baller or large spoon scoop out the innards and seeds. Peel the pumpkin then cut into chunks (you will need approx. ½ small pumpkin).

TIP: You can use the pumpkin seeds to garnish this soup. Simply wipe then dry them in the oven (approx. 330F) for several minutes, peel and enjoy.

2. Make soup base: Heat the oil and cook the onion gently for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute stirring often.

3. Add pumpkin and carrots: Add the pumpkin, carrots, spices as well as most of the stock. Cover and bring up to boil then lower the heat and cook until both vegetables are tender (this should take approx. 20 minutes).

4. Puree: Remove from the heat and puree the soup until creamy. Top up with a little more stock if required, adjust the seasoning and enjoy!

Serving suggestions

This fresh pumpkin and carrot soup is delicious on its own, with a knob of butter/vegan spread or splash of coconut milk. You can also garnish it with cilantro/fresh coriander, pumpkin seeds and/or onion seeds. For a more substantial meal serve with garlic bread, croutons, or easy homemade cheese breadsticks.

Can I use pumpkin puree instead of fresh pumpkin

Yes, you can if that's what you have on hand, though you'll have to use adjust the method (as pumpkin puree is a ready-to-eat product). If using canned pumpkin (1 can) add it towards the end of Step 3, when the carrots are almost fully cooked. You may also need to adjust the amount of stock (add less to start with and top up later if needed).

How to add flavour

• Add a bit of your favourite curry powder (1 teaspoon or to taste).
• Add a drizzle of lemon juice.
• Use dried thyme (approx. 1 teaspoon) or fresh lemon thyme (leaves of 2 sprigs).
• Add red pepper flakes (sweet or hot) or paprika for colour.

How to adjust the texture and consistency

This autumnal soup with pumpkin and carrot has a thick consistency and creamy texture, but you can tweak these according to your preference. For example, add a little more stock to loosen the consistency. For a super creamy finish use a high-speed blender.

Alternatively mash the ingredients using a potato masher (as I have done in my root vegetable soup recipe) for a chunky texture.

Top tips

• Use culinary, sugar pumpkin, not carving pumpkin.
• Try not to overcook the soup (so the vegetables retain their flavour). Cook just until the vegetables are tender, then remove from the heat and puree.
• Use a little less stock to start with and add more, if required, once you've pureed the soup.
• Do not add any salt until you've pureed the soup (the stock usually contains a lot of salt so you may not need to add any).
• Refrigerate leftover pumpkin carrot soup for up to 3 days.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.

More autumnal soups to try next

• Roasted Butternut Squash Lentil Soup
• Roasted Sweet Potato Soup with Spinach
• Creamy Beet Soup with Fennel

See also these other easy, delicious soup recipes including this collection of creamy vegan soups.

Recipe

Keep in touch!

If you make this easy pumpkin carrot soup recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Did you use raw pumpkin or pumpkin puree? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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